Licking Problem

My cat is getting a cone today. He obsessively licks and scratches his elbow (or the joint one would most associate with a cat's elbow) until it's red, raw, and wet with kitty spit. It's sad. I don't like seeing him uncomfortable, and the sound of his constant licking is wearing on my nerves.



This is somewhat of a reoccurring problem, and sometimes seems in direct relation to the stress in my life. So when I see/hear him licking, I get all concerned, stressed, and annoyed and he just licks more and more frantically. The cycle continues.
It seemed especially bad today so I made a vet appointment and they recommended to get him a cone to wear until his appointment on Tuesday. This is the first time he's stopped licking today since I woke up to the "slopslopslopripriprip" sound of him doing it this morning about two hours ago. Poor little guy. Cones are just so sad.
I need a hug and a beer.